Another Day at the Office
by laoisbabe
Summary: A normal day for Jack and the gang turns into a battle for survival for a few of them. May be a bit J/S towards the end. Final Chapter up.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N - Am writing this loosely based on an idea provided by my good friend, Kimberleah (a fellow whump fan). Hopefully all you WAT fans are coping without our favorite show. This might tickle your fancy although I know nothing will replace the real deal. **_

It was another busy day at the Missing Person's Unit of the F.B.I. Jack Malone and his team were gathered around a table in the bullpen, discussing their approach to their latest case. Janet Carpenter, a 31 year old married woman had disappeared after a night out with her workmates. Her husband had reported her missing after he woke up the next morning and there was no sign of her. He tried calling her cell phone but it kept going to voice mail. He had contacted her friends but they all said that she had caught a cab from outside the bar that night. That was the last they had seen of her.

Jack and his team were tracing the last movements of the missing woman. Samantha and Martin were going to interview her work colleagues while he and Danny were planning to visit the restaurant and bar in which she and her colleagues had drank on the night she disappeared. Elena and Vivienne were following up on her cell phone and credit card activity. She had already been missing for eighteen hours. Time was running out.

Samantha and Martin left immediately to travel downtown to the office building where Janet worked. Jack asked Danny to wait for him as he had a quick call to make. It was his daughter, Kate's, birthday and he wanted to call her and wish her a happy birthday. He hated having to do this over the phone. He had hoped to fly to Chicago that weekend so he could hand her the gift he had bought for her, but they had caught this case and it looked like it was going to mess up his plans. He phoned her from the privacy of his office. She sounded so happy and excited, as every ten year old should on their birthday. He apologised profusely for not getting to see her this weekend but she wasn't too upset, especially when he told her that he would see her the following weekend. Once he hung up, he grabbed his overcoat, apologised to Danny for the hold up and then the two walked to the elevator. They took the elevator to the third floor where they got off and walked to the car pool parking garage.

As they walked along they discussed the case and they each offering a theory about what could have happened to their victim. As they headed towards their town car, something unusual caught Jack's eye. There was a white van pulled right up to the elevator door on the other side of the parking structure. At first it didn't strike him as alarming, it just didn't sit right with him. It took him a few moments to realise why this sight was so unusual. Then he remembered that the service area for all utilities and deliveries was on the ground floor and that only government tagged vehicles should be able to access any higher level. He stopped and turned back around to see what they were doing. They appeared to be unloading something into the elevator.

"Hey, does that seem odd to you?" he asked Danny as he gesticulated in the direction of the van.

"Kinda," Danny replied, obviously not overly concerned. But to Jack it just didn't seem right.

"You go ahead and get the car," he said tossing Danny the keys. "I'll just see what's going on."

With that Danny continued over to the black sedan parked in the centre of the parking area. Jack walked in the opposite direction towards the two men who still hadn't noticed the two agents. As Jack got closer he called to the two men.

"Hey, you know you should be using the service elevator on….." he started to say when one of the men turned around obviously startled and without warning, opened fire with an automatic weapon.

Jack reacted quickly and scrambled towards a line of parked cars in an attempt to take cover. He felt a sting and then a burning sensation in his side and he knew he had been hit. He stayed crouched down, protecting his head, as shards of glass rained down on him from the shattering car windows above. He reached for his own weapon and keeping his head down, raised his arm above the hood of the car and fired a burst of five or six shots in the general direction of the elevator.

Danny had just started the car when he heard the first burst of automatic fire. His thoughts immediately turned to Jack. He looked over to the area where he had left him and couldn't see him anywhere. Using his cell phone he reported shots fired and requested immediate assistance before getting out of the car and running in the direction of the gun fire. He had only taken a few steps when the white van erupted in a ball of bright orange flames and there was a tremendous explosion. Even though he was over thirty metres from the van, the force of the blast lifted him off his feet and flung him into the side of the car he had just exited. The force of the blast and the impact of the collision rendered him unconscious almost instantly.

* * *

Vivienne and Elena were at their desks when the ground beneath them shook and they heard the unmistakable boom of an explosion. They both looked at each other in shock and surprise. Seconds after the explosion, fire alarms and evacuation procedures swung into action in the FBI building. Sensibly, they and all others who were on their floor, left the office using the stairwell. They had only descended two floors when they were met by rising smoke and fumes. Others from the building were telling them to use the stairwells on the opposite side of the building. They were hearing chatter that there had been an explosion in either the elevator shaft or the parking garage. Once Elena heard that she took hold of Vivienne's hand.

"Danny and Jack were on their way to get a car from the car pool," she said reaching for her cell phone. Automatically she found Danny's phone number and tried to call him. It was ringing but he wasn't answering. She tried Jack's. She kept getting a message that his cell was out of service.

"Neither of them are answering, Viv," she said getting extremely concerned.

"Don't worry, Elena. I'm sure they're fine," she said painting on a smile to hide her own fears. "Let's get out of here first then we'll get in touch with them."

Elena knew there was little she could do. She could hear the sirens on the street as the emergency services vehicles arrived. Their descent to the ground floor was slow as the stairwell filled with people trying to escape from each of the lower floors. There was no panic however and they all were calm and organised in their evacuation of the building.

When they finally reached the street level, they were met by FDNY officers who directed them to a cordoned off area away from the building. As Viv and Elena turned around they could see the dust and smoke billowing from the third floor of the parking structure and parts of the adjoining FBI building. An orange glow was visible through the smoke from the street as a number of cars burned inside. Elena felt sick at the thought that Danny and Jack could still be up there. She prayed with all her might that Danny, the love of her life, would not be taken from her. The area was swarming with emergency personnel but she seemed oblivious to them. She kept trying Danny's cell, willing for him to pick up.

----------------

Inside the parking structure, Danny was starting to come around. He coughed violently as the air he gulped was heavy with concrete dust and acrid smoke. He opened his eyes and everything seemed grey. He moved to get to his feet and his head began to spin. Then he realised that he had taken a heavy knock and was probably concussed. There was a constant ringing in his ears. He looked around him and for a minute or two he had no idea where he was or how he got there. He clambered to his feet and brushed thick layer of dust from his clothes. He felt the lump at the back of his head where he had hit the bodywork of the car. Then it started to come back to him as he saw the shattered dust covered skeletons of cars in front of him. He was in the parking garage. He could see the orange glow of the burning chassis' of several vehicles on the other side of the lot. Then it hit him. Jack!

"Jack! Jack!" he yelled as panic set in. The last time he had seen Jack, he was walking over towards the elevator. Now there was only a gaping hole and a smouldering fire where the elevator used to be. Frantically he stumbled across rubble and around the shattered remains of cars. His vision blurred intermittently and his head ached but he had to find Jack. He called continuously but there was no response. Part of the level of the parking structure above had collapsed onto the level on which he stood. Cars lay crushed under massive slabs of concrete and twisted metal. Danny searched tirelessly and his efforts were rewarded eventually when he discovered Jack lying between the shattered remnants of two cars. He was laying there on his back, motionless, his body caked in a layer of grey dust and grime, reminding Danny of pictures he had seen of the victims of the volcanic eruption in Pompeii. There was blood oozing from a nasty looking head wound. Part of a support beam had collapsed and had landed on one of the cars but it was also trapping Jack. A section of it lay parallel to Jack's body, while more of it appeared to be crushing Jack's left leg and abdomen. Danny was distraught seeing Jack in that situation.

"Jack? Can you hear me Jack?" he said as he tried to climb over the beam so that he could reach Jack's neck to check his pulse. It took a couple of attempts before he satisfied himself that Jack indeed did have a pulse, albeit a very weak one. He tried to clear the rubble and dust away from Jack's mouth and nose so that he could at least breathe a little better.

He then turned to the broken pillar that was pinning Jack. Using all his strength he endeavoured to lift it off him. His distress grew as he realised that he couldn't free his boss. It was too heavy for him to lift by himself.

"Help!" he yelled. "We need some help in here," he shouted aimlessly. His cries for help were drowned out by the incessant drone of car alarms which had been set off by the concussion of the blast. He could also hear the fire alarms ringing in the adjacent building. He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, unsure of what he could do to help Jack. He knelt down beside him and told him that help was on the way and prayed that he was right.

* * *

Meanwhile Martin and Samantha had arrived at McCann and Gayles, the realtor's office where Janet Carpenter worked. They entered the building and explained who they were and why they were there. Everyone was extremely co-operative and willing to be of assistance. They interviewed all of Janet's colleagues who were with her at D'Acampo's Restaurant the night she disappeared and those who continued on to the bar close by after that. Soon they wrapped up and as they left the office which was given to them to carry out their interviews, they noticed many of the staff had gathered around the t.v. in the reception and waiting area. Curious about what was so interesting, Samantha joined them and saw that they were watching a news broadcast. She turned and asked a woman standing beside her what was going on.

"I'm not sure. They say that there was a bombing in Manhattan," she replied. Samantha strained to see the t.v. The reporter was standing outside a police cordon and Sam was unable to immediately identify what street they were on. Then one of the men she had interviewed earlier turned to her.

"Is that your office?" he asked curiously.

"What?" Samantha asked still straining to see the t.v.

"The F.B.I. building in Manhattan. A bomb exploded there," he said standing back and allowing her a clearer view of the t.v. screen. Martin joined her to see what was keeping her.

"Oh my God, Martin. There's been an explosion back at the office," she explained getting out her cell phone and trying to call Jack. She just got a message saying that the cell was out of service.

Martin tried Viv's cell. It rang and she answered quickly.

"Viv, are you alright? I just saw the report on the t.v.," Martin told her.

"Yeah, Martin. We're fine. It looks like the explosion was in the parking garage. Have you heard from Jack?" she asked in hope.

"No. Sam tried his cell but is getting and out of service message," he explained.

"Elena's been trying Danny's phone but it keeps going to voice mail. I think they might have been in the garage, Martin. They had only left the office minutes before the explosion. It doesn't look good," Viv said.

Martin looked at Samantha who was unable to conceal the worry she felt. He hung up and took Samantha to one side. She needed to know.

"Sam, I was talking to Viv. The explosion was in the parking garage next to the office. She's pretty sure Danny and Jack were in there when it happened. They had just left the office and now they can't get in touch with either of them," he explained. A look of horror traversed Sam's face. She put her hand to her mouth and looked at Martin desperately.

"Oh, God, Martin. We have to get back," she said anxiously. "Maybe there's something we can do."

Martin knew that there would be little they could do but he followed her as she hurried out of the building and towards their car. They drove hastily through the city in the direction of the office. Eventually they hit the traffic jams as the traffic was being diverted away from the scene of the explosion. Martin decided to park the car and they continued on foot towards F.B.I. Headquarters. As they neared the block they noticed the increased crowd and the smoke and dust still billowing from the parking structure. Martin called Viv to find out where she and Elena were. They eventually were able to meet up just outside the police cordon.

"Have you heard anything?" Samantha asked desperately.

"Nothing. Elena is trying to speak to the Fire Chief and see what's happening. So far, the ambulance crews are on hold. I guess their trying to make sure the building is safe," Viv told her.

Samantha looked up at the damaged building. _Please be okay, Jack_.

**_A/N - any comments always appreciated. Should I continue or give up now?_**


	2. Chapter 2

Back inside the devastated structure, Danny remained by Jack's side and wondered why the rescue services hadn't reached them yet. As he sat there feeling slightly nauseous, he was startled as Jack groaned loudly and started to come around.

"Jack, it's okay. Just take it easy," Danny said leaning closer. Jack's eyes opened and he instinctively tried to get up. Danny put his hand on this shoulder to halt him.

"What happened?" Jack asked through gritted teeth. He was slowly becoming more aware of the pain which was pulsing through his body.

"There was an explosion, Jack. It brought down part of the roof," Danny told him. Jack started to cough violently as the airborne dust caught his breath. He cried out in agony, the coughing motion causing indescribable pain. Danny felt helpless, unable to ease Jack's pain. Jack gasped for air and eventually got his breath back. He was starting to realise that he was in serious trouble.

"How … bad?" he managed to ask. Danny could see Jack's pain reflected in his usually smouldering brown eyes. They were bloodshot and intense. He allowed his eyes to travel lower and check Jack's injuries. He could see a very obvious break in Jack's left forearm as it lay twisted under smaller pieces of rubble. His visual examination continued further and he could see the chunk of concrete pillar across Jack's abdomen. There seemed to be blood pooling underneath him. Danny couldn't see exactly where it was coming from. The same large piece of concrete covered Jack's left leg. Danny tried to see what damage was done but without moving the debris, it was useless. What should he tell Jack? Would it be kinder to withhold the seriousness of the situation from Jack? He was about sugar coat the truth when Jack spoke up.

"That good, eh?" Jack asked weakly, reading the grim expression on Danny's face.

"It's pretty bad, Jack. But you need to be strong for me, do you hear? The rescue crews are on their way. We'll have you out of here soon, okay?" Danny insisted, talking loudly and deliberately to Jack. Jack blinked back the pain and tried to concentrate on listening to Danny. The darkness seemed to be creeping in from his peripheral vision and he felt as if he was going to pass out again.

"Stay with me, Jack," Danny insisted, noticing how Jack was struggling to stay conscious.

Danny looked at his dust covered face and was trying to think how he could make Jack more comfortable while they waited for rescue. Then he remembered that he had left a bottle of water in their car which was parked on the other side of the car park.

"Jack, I'll be back in a couple of minutes. You just hang in there, okay?" Danny said, standing up. Jack nodded feebly.

Danny clambered back over the fallen pillar and hurried back over to where he knew their car was parked. As he neared it he thought he could hear his cell phone ringing. He checked his pockets but it wasn't there. As he got closer to the car, the ringing grew louder. He searched for the cell phone and couldn't believe his luck when he found it. It was on the ground beneath the car, where he had been thrown by the earlier blast. It must have fallen out of his pocket. It had stopped ringing though. He checked it and had several missed calls from Elena. Without hesitation, he returned her call.

"Danny! Thank God, where are you?" she asked eagerly, unable to hide her delight at hearing from him.

"I'm in the parking garage, on level three," he told Elena.

"Oh my God, are you hurt?" she asked, hearing the fear in his voice and looking up towards the third floor.

"No, I'm okay. Jack's hurt though. It's pretty bad, Elena. When are the rescue crew coming? He needs medical attention urgently. He's trapped beneath rubble," he told her.

"I don't know, Danny. The Fire Chief won't let his crew enter until the bomb squad have cleared the area," Elena told him.

"Elena, listen to me. You've got to tell them to get in here, now! Tell them there are survivors in need of urgent medical attention, do you hear me? Tell them to hurry. I don't know how long Jack can hang on," Danny explained.

"I'll try, Danny. I love you," Elena told him emotionally.

"I love you too," Danny replied. He hung up the phone and then opened the door to the car. He found the bottle of water under the passenger seat. He remembered that there was a first aid kit in the trunk. He opened the trunk and took out the medical kit and also took the wheel jack and some other items that he thought might be useful. Laden with several items, he hurried back to Jack.

"Jack? Are you still with me, Jack?" he asked as he returned to kneel back at Jack's right arm. Jack's eyes remained closed. Danny touched him gently on the cheek and Jack's eyes fluttered open. "Hey," Danny said sympathetically looking into his pain filled eyes. "I've found some water," he told him. He wet some gauze from the first aid kit and cleaned the dirt from Jack's bloodshot eyes and his mouth and nostrils.

"Okay, Jack, I'm just going to try and see where the blood is coming from," he said leaning over Jack's torso and straining to see where the bleeding was originating. It was difficult to see because of the position of the concrete slab across his torso. Danny decided to check the accessible parts of Jack's body instead. He opened Jack's long black overcoat and got even more worried when under the suit jacket, his white shirt was soaked with blood. He pulled the clothing away as best he could and was appalled when he saw the source of the blood. There was a rusted steel rod protruding out of the concrete slab. It had pierced Jack's upper abdomen when it fell on him. He couldn't tell without moving Jack but judging from the pool of blood congealing underneath him, he assumed that the rod had gone straight though him. What he couldn't see was the bullet wound which had pierced his side as well. Danny felt himself pale at the realisation of the horror of Jack's injury. He glanced back up at Jack's bloodied face. He saw those brown eyes watching him intently so tried to suppress his revulsion.

"How are you doing Jack?" Danny asked him, knowing that he had to keep talking to him.

"You tell me," Jack replied breathlessly.

"Better than I thought. Your leg is most likely broken though," Danny told him, hesitating about telling him about the metal rod.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "And what about this skewer…." Jack started before pausing momentarily because of the pain. "…going through me?"

"Well, once you stay nice and still you'll be fine," Danny informed him praying he was right. "The bleeding's not too bad and when the rescue guys get here they'll get you out."

"'kay," Jack replied tiredly.

Danny looked over his shoulder, wishing to see their rescuers coming from somewhere, anywhere but there was no one. Silently, helplessly Danny watched as Jack fought for every breath. He tore the sleeve from his shirt. He used it to tie around the rod at the point where it entered Jack's body. He needed to try and stop any further bleeding. Once that was done, he took more gauze from the first aid kit and wet it with some water from the bottle. He used it to moisten Jack's lips. Then Jack broke the silence.

"Danny, will you do something for me?" Jack asked hoarsely.

"Sure, Jack. What is it?" Danny asked leaning in towards his injured boss.

"Kate….Hanna….if I don't make it….." Jack began before Danny interrupted.

"You can stop there," he said forcefully. "If you have a message for your kids, you can tell them yourself, do you hear me? You're getting out of here, Jack. I'm not going to let you give up on me," Danny insisted getting a little annoyed with him.

Jack smiled at the young man's insistence. _He's a good kid, _he thought_. He's going to make a fine agent some day._ He reached out and took hold of Danny's wrist with his uninjured right arm. He gave a slight squeeze of reassurance and Danny looked down at him with tear filled eyes. It was the last thing Jack saw before succumbing to the pain free comfort of unconsciousness. Danny panicked when he saw Jack's eyes roll back in their sockets as he passed out and his head lolled to one side.

"Jack! Jack!" he said his voice growing louder and more unnerved. "Don't do this to me Jack!"

He placed his finger tips lightly on Jack's carotid pulse. It was still there. He collapsed back onto his backside with relief and put his head in his hands and sobbed. He thought he had lost him that time but gratefully realised that he had just passed out. He was scared.

* * *

Outside on the street, Elena was relaying what Danny had told her to the rest of the team. Naturally Samantha was distraught when she heard that Jack was seriously injured. She begged Martin to talk to the Fire Chief and get help to them as quickly as he could. Martin knew that it would probably do no good but he passed the cordon, showed his I.D. and approached the Fire Chief. He introduced himself and explained to Fire Chief Davis that they had received a call from an agent trapped inside the building. He told him that another agent was wounded and required immediate medical assistance. Davis looked at him seriously.

"Look, right now I can't be sure if there's another device in that building or not. I will not order my men in until I am sure the area is clear. Bomb disposal are doing a sweep of the ground and first floors as we speak. They'll make their way up to all floors eventually. When I get the go ahead, I'll send them in," Davis explained rationally. Martin understood his reasoning and if it wasn't so personal for him he wouldn't have dared interfered. But it was Jack and Danny trapped up there. He had to do something.

He returned solemnly to Viv, Elena and Samantha. Their faces portrayed hope and the anticipation of good news. The news he bore, however, was not what they wanted or needed to hear. Sam looked at him in disbelief as he relayed exactly what the Fire Chief had said to him. Elena couldn't see beyond her heart and refused to accept Davis' reasoning. Being the ever practical one, Vivienne understood but still offered her support to her distraught colleagues. Elena's relationship with Danny was well known, established and understood by all. Samantha's relationship with Jack, however, was always shrouded in secrecy and while everyone suspected they had at some point had a relationship, no one really knew what the current status was. Viv often wondered if even Sam or Jack knew. Judging by Samantha's reaction to the current situation, she definitely had feelings for Jack, way beyond just work colleagues.

"We can't just leave them there, Martin," Sam said dabbing the tears on her cheek with a tissue.

"What can we do?" Martin asked feeling just as helpless as she but unable to see a way around it.

"I don't know. Talk to the Fire Chief again. Do something!" she pleaded.

Martin looked at her, feeling her distress. She joined him as he returned to look for the Fire Chief. As they walked across the street to one of the fire trucks there was a call on the truck radio. It was warning of the possibility of a collapse. Martin and Samantha exchanged worried looks. Chief Davis hurried around the cab of the truck and met the two agents.

"What's going on, Chief?" Martin asked.

"Not sure. The bomb disposal guys are telling us that some support columns on the second floor are damaged and that they may not hold," he replied with dread. "If your guy is able to walk tell him he should get out of there, now."

Samantha bit her lip to stifle any tears that were threatening to flow.

"They're only on the floor above. Can't you send someone up to help them? At least try," Martin implored. Davis looked at the young agent and at the obviously upset young woman. He hated having to make the tough decisions but his first priority had to be the safety of his men. But they were good men and good men didn't leave people to die.

"Okay, I won't order any of my guys into that situation but I will talk to them and if any of them want to volunteer, I'll let them go," Davis decided.

"Thank you," Sam said wanting to hug him but restraining her self.

Davis walked away from the two agents and joined a group of his men who were waiting on instructions. Martin and Sam watched anxiously as he talked to them, explaining the situation and the risks. Several of the men turned and looked over at the two agents before turning back to listen to their superior. Davis then shook the hands of a couple of the men and returned to Sam and Martin.

"Okay, I've got two volunteers. They're gearing up now," Davis told them.

"I'd like to go with them," Martin said much to Samantha's surprise.

"They don't need to be babysitting anyone up there," Davis said shaking his head. "They've got a job to do."

"I know. I won't get in the way. I can help," Martin insisted. Davis looked at him and could tell from his stance that he was fit and capable.

"Okay then. I'll get you some gear," Davis said returning to the fire truck. Martin turned to Samantha and the pair hugged. Martin shared her fear and dreaded what he may discover up there. He took a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever may come.

**So - what do you think so far?**

**By the way, it's set somewhere before Samantha has her son.**


	3. Chapter 3

On the third floor of the parking structure, Jack was drifting in and out of consciousness. Danny had examined the beam that was pinning him, trying to see if there was any way he could get it off him. He had the jack from the car and considered using it had it been feasible. But now, knowing that Jack was impaled on the steel rod, he realised that it was no longer an option. He checked Jack's pulse for the umpteenth time. It was thready and weak. He noticed that Jack's skin felt cold and clammy to the touch. He removed his jacket and placed it over Jack to try and keep him warm and maybe delay the onset of shock. However looking at the injured agent, he could tell he was already suffering from the effects of shock. With the exception of the sound of the blaring car alarms, it was eerily quiet. His cell phone rang and Danny jumped with a start.

"Yeah?" he replied quickly.

"Danny, how are you holding up?" Elena asked her anxiety evident.

"I'm fine, Lena. What's the hold up? Why has no one come?" Danny asked frustrated and scared.

"They're worried that there's going to be a collapse. The second floor is unstable and could collapse at any time. They said that if you can you should try and get out using the car ramp on the west side," Elena said hoping he would take her advice but knowing that he wouldn't.

"What? I can't move Jack on my own and there's no way I'm leaving him," he replied crossly.

"I know baby, I know," Elena replied tearfully. "Some fire fighters have volunteered to go up there. Martin's going with them. They'll be there soon," she told him.

"Thank God. I hope they hurry. Jack's not doing so good," Danny informed her.

"Good luck," Elena said to him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Danny replied before hanging up. He turned to Jack. "Did you hear that Jack? They're coming. They're coming," he repeated more to reassure himself than Jack. Jack didn't respond. His breathing was more laboured Danny noticed. He hoped they weren't going to be too late.

Down at ground level, Martin and one fire officer, Jorge Tevez, and a paramedic, Lee Rickman, were beginning the trek up the car ramps to the first floor. Everything looked pretty normal on the ground floor. The two FDNY boys chatted, sounding relaxed as they walked. Tevez carried some heavy equipment with him. It looked like cutting gear to Martin. Rickman carried a medical bag on his back and some heavier equipment also. Martin helped by carrying the fold up stretched and another bag of medical supplies in a backpack. He was quiet though, fearing what he might find when they finally got to Danny and Jack. When they reached the first floor they looked around and you couldn't tell that there had been an explosion. They only unusual thing was the thin layer of dust that coated all the parked cars. Once they reached the second floor the damage was much greater. There was a massive hole in the roof close to the elevator and several cars were crushed beneath fallen masonry and other rubble. There was an ominous looking crack in the roof extending quite a way along it. They did a quick check to see if anyone was injured or trapped in the vehicles but found no one. Then they continued on their way to the third floor. Martin was appalled to see the destruction on the that level as they arrived there. Some cars were on their sides, others were smouldering wrecks. Those vehicles that had survived all had their windows shattered. Again another tear had been blasted through the roof on that floor. The entire elevator had disintegrated. It was apparent even to Martin that this was the origin of the blast. As they arrived onto the level, Danny heard them and stood up and called them over to him. He had never been so pleased to see anyone in his life.

"Over here, guys. Over here, hurry!" he hollered standing up and waving to get their attention.

The three men quickened their pace and finally reached an exhausted looking Danny Taylor.

"Jeez, Danny, are you alright, man?" Martin asked noticing the blood on Danny's shirt sleeves.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's not mine," he replied looking at the blood stains on his clothing. "He's in a bad way, Martin."

Martin looked at his colleague. He was obviously very shaken and overwrought but doing his best to disguise it. He led Martin and the two rescuers to where he had left Jack lying. Martin's sharp intake of breath was the only sign of shock he displayed outwardly. Jack was lying, covered by Danny's coat, his lower body obviously trapped under the fallen masonry. His face was deathly pale and streaked with blood and grime. His eyes were closed and Martin had to pause for several seconds to try and see if he was still breathing. The two men who accompanied him into the bomb site were quickly by Jack's side. Rickman, the paramedic, immediately began to assess Jack's condition. Tevez was on his hands and knees trying to see if it would be possible for them to get the masonry off Jack. As Tevez began to try and lift it with his bare hands, Danny shouted at him to stop. At the same time, Rickman let a shout at him also.

"Don't!" Danny shouted urgently. "You'll kill him. One of those reinforcing rods has gone though him." Tevez stopped immediately and looked closer at the man trapped beneath the concrete. Rickman lifted Danny's coat off Jack revealing the full extent of his injuries to all. Martin swallowed hard to fight back the rising bile in his throat. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"Did you bring any cutting gear?" Rickman asked Tevez, his words snapping Martin out if his stupor.

"I have this," he said taking out large bolt cutters and displaying them.

"They should work. Right, we need to try and cut the steel first and then we'll try and free him from under the masonry. The hard part will be keeping the rod still while you're cutting it," Rickman said looking up at Tevez. He knew what his colleague meant. They had both seen similar injuries before.

"How's he doing?" Martin asked the paramedic.

"Not too good. The sooner we get him out of here the better," Rickman replied earnestly. He was taking antiseptic and a bag of saline out of his bag when Jack began to stir again. Slowly his eyes opened and he blinked and stared at the blurred figure looking down at him.

"Danny?" he said weakly.

"No, Jack. My name's Lee Rickman. I'm a paramedic. We're going to get you out of here, okay?" Rickman told him. "Jack, can you tell me where you feel pain?" he asked trying to assess the extent of his injuries.

"My chest ….," Jack replied breathlessly. "Leg…"

"Right, Jack. I'm just going to put this over your face. Try and breathe normally," Rickman advised taking out a small cylinder of oxygen and a face mask. _Normally? I wish_, Jack thought as he took another short painful breath.

"Any neck pain at all?" Rickman asked. Jack shook his head slightly. Rickman put a collar around his neck just in case.

"I'm going to give you a shot for the pain. It should help some," Rickman continued. He noticed Jack's glassy brown eyes trying to focus on him. "How long have you been an agent then?" Rickman asked trying to keep Jack alert and talking.

"Almost twenty years," Jack replied faintly.

"Twenty years? You must have seen some action," Rickman commented. Jack just nodded and tried to smile. He felt a small pin prick in his hip as Rickman administered the pain relief. Then Rickman began to tap the inside of Jack's free arm, explaining to him that he was trying to find a vein. After several attempts he managed to insert a cannula for the IV. He asked Martin to hold the saline bag above and to squeeze the saline through. Rickman was concentrating on stabilising Jack as much as he could before Tevez got to work.

"Okay, Jack. Here's what's going to happen. My mate Jorge here is going to cut the metal rod away from the masonry. Once its cut we can then try and move the concrete off you. I'll give you some local anaesthetic to numb the area," he said referring to his abdomen where the rod was impaled.

By that time, Jack didn't really care. He was struggling to stay lucid and barely caught half of what Rickman was telling him. Rickman nodded to Tevez who prepared to cut the rod. He asked Martin to hold the rod steady while Rickman knew he had to keep Jack from moving. Tevez placed the jaws of the bolt cutters around the rod and indicated to the others that he was ready to cut it. He applied all the strength he could to the arms of the cutters and tried to force them together thus closing the jaws. He could feel the resistance as they reached the metal. He squeezed even harder. Martin could feel the increased pressure as he fought to keep the rod from moving and causing Jack even more injury. He couldn't bear to look at Jack's face but he could tell from the short sharp breaths that Jack could feel everything.

Much to Martin's and everyone's relief they heard a pronounced snap which signalled to them that the rod had broken. The sound of the crack was echoed by an agonised cry from Jack as the steel rod severed and was freed from the concrete mass. No matter how hard Martin had tried to ensure that the rod stayed steady, movement from the suddenness of the break was inevitable. He turned to look at the sweat covered face of his injured boss. Jack was fighting to stay conscious and obviously losing. His breathing was becoming more laboured. Martin could feel the warmth of Jack's blood as it started to seep through the make shift bandage Danny had tied around the rod. For the first time, Martin began to doubt if Jack would make it out of that parking structure.

"He's out again," Rickman announced to all concerned. "Pulse is steady though."

"Come on then. Let's try and lift this off him," Tevez said anxiously. He placed a small lifting device under the fallen masonry. He hoped that it would be powerful enough to lift it the few inches they needed in order to free Jack. The small compressor motor started running and soon it could be heard straining under the weight of the concrete. Tevez was lying on his stomach looking to see if it was doing what it was supposed to be doing.

"I think it's going to work," he said sounding pleased and relieved. As the concrete rose ever so slightly, he placed supports under it to stop it falling back onto Jack's already broken body.

"Danny, grab him under the shoulders," Rickman said needing help moving Jack. "When I tell you I want you to gently pull him towards you."

Danny positioned himself at Jack's head and prepared to do as Rickman ordered. Tevez gave the go ahead, indicating that the masonry was lifted enough and that they should be able to free Jack. Rickman told Danny to pull and Danny carefully hauled his bosses limp body from under the broken masonry. Once he had him clear, Rickman was quickly over to reassess his patient. He quickly examined his abdomen from where the rod still protruded. He tore Jack's shirt open to get a better look and it was then that he noticed another circular wound in his side. He gently rolled Jack onto his opposite side so that he could check his back. There was a similar, slightly larger wound on his back.

"He's been shot," Rickman announced having seen more than his fair share of bullet wounds in his career.

"What?" Martin said completely stunned and leaning down to have a closer look.

"Yeah, the bullet went straight though," Rickman told him.

"I heard automatic gun fire just before the explosion," Danny informed them. "It must have happened then. Is it bad?"

"Pretty minor in comparison to his other injuries. At least the rod hasn't gone through so it will be easier to move him," Rickman informed him. "His legs a mess though and I'll need to stabilise that arm," he commented as he reached for the inflatable splint from his kit. He placed it around Jacks leg from foot to thigh and inflated it, therefore immobilising it. He similarly supported Jacks left arm in preparation to move him.

As he worked the others noticed that the creaking and groaning noises coming from the building were getting more frequent and louder. They were mindful that parts of the structure were unstable and that it would be in everyone's best interest to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. Tevez brought over the collapsible stretcher that Martin had carried earlier. He opened it out close to where Jack lay. He looked at his colleague.

"It's not going to hold for much longer," he said referring to the floor on which they stood. There were noticeable cracks in the concrete spanning out from the epicentre of the blast which was now just a gaping hole looking down into the second floor of the structure.

"Okay," Rickman replied, knowing the danger. "Give me a hand to lift him onto this," he said referring to the stretcher. Danny once again took hold of Jack's shoulders and Rickman carefully lifted Jack's legs. They secured him to the stretcher, lay the oxygen bottle alongside him and covered him with a foil blanket. Rickman was thankful that Jack was still unconscious because he knew that all the manoeuvring would have been excruciating for him. He stood up and they quickly arranged how they would carry the stretched. They each agreed to take one corner. Their pace quickened as the creaking increased and their realisation of impending disaster grew.

Being careful not to jostle Jack around to much, they walked smartly towards the vehicle ramp which would take them to the second floor. They had just started their descent when the building emitted a spine chilling groan and the floor, on which they stood not seconds earlier, crumbled onto the floor beneath. The whole building shook and a cloud of dust spewed into the air. They lowered the stretcher to the ground and each of them crouched in an attempt to find clearer air. Some of them pulled their clothing over their mouths and noses to try and avoid inhaling the dust. Jack was still wearing the oxygen mask so he was protected from the clogged air.

Outside, however onlookers, including Vivienne, Elena and Samantha watched in horror as the latest catastrophe unfolded in front of their eyes. A fresh cloud of dust billowed from the second and third floors of the parking structure. They had never felt so helpless in all their lives. Elena was desperately trying to call Danny's cell phone again. Sam just watched and prayed. Her eyes turned to the Fire Chief trying to gauge his reaction. He had rushed to the radio in the fire tender as the collapse became evident and was desperately calling his men who he knew were still inside the building. She watched as he sat radio in hand, undoubtedly worried, listening desperately for a response. She watched as he waited. It was torture not knowing. _They had to be okay, they just had to. _

_**A/N - I used a bit of literary licence with the length of time Jack was in the FBI. Haven't a clue. If anyone does, please let me know.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Back inside the crumbling structure, a short wave radio crackled to life with orders for the bearer to respond. Still in a crouched position Tevez extricated the radio from inside his jacket and eventually responded to his superiors pleas.

"Six two eight responding, over," he replied calmly.

"Are you guys alright in there, over?" Chief Davis enquired.

"We're okay so far," Tevez replied. "The roof came down but we're located on the exit ramp between the second and third floor. We've got the injured agent and we're on our way down, over," he explained.

"Roger that. Get outta there now. Over and out," Davis ordered still sounding concerned.

Tevez got to his feet and was joined by the three others dusting themselves off. The dust was starting to clear and they could see result of the latest collapse. A massive slab of intact concrete had fallen and was leaning from the roof of the third floor crushing a number of vehicles parked on the third floor. The ground on the side of the structure close to the elevator had disintegrated, vanished. Danny looked over in disbelief, realising that they had been standing there only minutes earlier. It had been a close call. He, Martin and the two fire officers exchanged relieved glances before bending down and grasping hold of the stretcher handles once more. They hoisted the stretcher off the ground and slowly and deliberately descended the ramp. As they reached the second floor they could see the effect of the recent collapse. The entire area was coated in concrete dust. Car alarms still droned incessantly.

The four men trudged onwards. Danny and Martin glanced from time to time, checking on their injured boss, making sure he was still with them. Eventually they reached the ground floor and made their way out onto the street. Fire crew and paramedics rushed over to them and offered their assistance. A couple of them took over from Danny and Martin carrying the stretcher. They rushed Jack over to one of the waiting ambulances, placed him on a gurney and began to work on him. Martin and Danny followed loyally to the ambulance. Another paramedic insisted on checking on Danny. There was dried blood caked into his hair on the back of his head and a noticeable blood stain on the collar of his shirt. As Danny protested, Elena, Samantha and Vivienne came running onto the scene, escorted by Fire Chief Davis.

Elena threw her arms around Danny and they kissed passionately. Samantha rushed passed the pair and then stopped dead when she saw Jack lying on the gurney about to be lifted into the ambulance. The initial sight of him shocked her. She knew he had been hurt but had no idea how badly. The sight of the object protruding from his abdomen alarmed her immensely. She wasn't prepared for the amount of blood on his clothing. A medic covered him once more before lifting the gurney up into the back of the ambulance. She consciously tried to avert her gaze away from the horrendous injury and instead looked into Jacks face. He looked so deathly pale it frightened her. His chest barely rose as he inhaled. The paramedic was about to close the door of the ambulance when she finally spoke up.

"Can I ride with him?" she asked, her voice shaking noticeably.

"Sure, climb in, Miss," he replied.

Samantha climbed on board and sat where the other paramedic told her. He remained close to Jack monitoring his condition. She saw Martin and Vivienne watching them just before the doors of the ambulance slammed shut and the engine started. With siren sounding, they were quickly underway to the nearest Trauma Centre. Samantha took hold of Jack's uninjured right hand and held it tightly. She spoke to him. She wanted him to know that she was there.

"Jack," she said gently touching his cheek with her free hand. "You're going to be okay, Jack."

She caught the paramedic looking at her and feared that he knew something she didn't.

"He _is_ going to be okay, isn't he?" she asked him, fretting. He looked uncomfortably at her.

"With this type of injury it's hard to tell. In all likelihood he's bleeding internally. I'm struggling to stabilise his B.P. Between that and the blood loss from the gunshot wound, the sooner we get to the E.R. the better," he explained honestly.

"Gunshot wound?" Sam exclaimed. She had no idea what had happened up there. She looked back at Jack and squeezed his hand even harder, willing him to fight. The ambulance hurtled onwards to the E.R. As the ambulance finally screeched to a halt, she was relieved. She allowed herself an ounce of hope as the ambulance doors burst open and a team of medical personnel surrounded the gurney. Sam followed the crowd as it hurried into the E.R. and onwards to a Trauma Room. Sam slipped into the Trauma Room unnoticed and watched as the nurses and doctors began their battle to save their patient.

Jack was quickly intubated and attached to a cardiac monitor while a nurse cut his clothing from his broken body. Sam stared in disbelief at the metal protruding from Jacks abdomen and the myriad of bruising all over his chest. Thankfully the nurse covered him with a sheet which broke her trance. A team of doctors surrounded him discussing his treatment. One concentrated on his abdominal injury. Sam watched as another released the air from the splint on his left leg and examined the damage. The more she saw of his injuries the worse she felt. She covered her mouth with her hand and felt herself getting weak. She decided it was best not to be in the Trauma Room any more and quickly escaped to the waiting area outside. She found a seat and gulped the air to quell her growing nausea. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had never seen Jack so severely injured in her life. It scared her. She soon realised that she couldn't bear the thoughts of losing him. She had resigned herself to the fact that their relationship had fizzled out and that it would be best all around if they both moved on.

Jack had pulled away from her since Maria and the kids moved to Chicago. It was obvious to her that he wasn't ready or able to move on. He clung onto the guilt of splitting up his family and she often wondered if he partially blamed her for her part in it. Typically, they never discussed it. There were still subtle looks and stolen glances that served to keep her guessing on the state of their relationship. As it stood, she really had no clue if Jack still felt for her what she felt for him. She had tried dating other guys to take her mind off him but most of them barely got past the first date. Her heart wanted what it wanted. She knew his position in his job prohibited the pursuit of their relationship. He knew it too. But somehow a relationship had developed, their feelings grew and in the past they had both surrendered to their desires. Sitting there, wondering if he would survive, she cursed all the wasted opportunities she had to tell him how she felt. Now she realised that she may never get the chance. She was sitting there, lost in her thoughts when the ambulance with Danny and Elena pulled up.

Danny was being ushered to a treatment area when he saw Samantha sitting outside the Trauma Room. He broke away from the nurses escorting him and rushed over to her.

"How is he, Samantha?" he asked anxiously.

Sam looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. She bit on her bottom lip and tried to stifle the rising tide of emotion. Try as she might she failed miserably and broke down. Danny and Elena sat down beside her. Elena hugged her warmly while Danny rubbed her back and looked towards the door of the Trauma Room. He couldn't stand not knowing.

"Sam?" he said softly. "Is he....?" he asked fearing her response.

"Oh God Danny," Sam replied and turned to hug him. "I've never been so scared. He's strong. He's going to be okay, isn't he?" she asked looking for reassurance. Danny breathed a sigh of relief. He half expected her to tell him that he hadn't made it. He hugged her tightly into him.

"He's tough, he'll make it," Danny assured her.

As they sat there a nurse came looking for Danny. Despite his utterances that he was fine, she insisted that he be checked over. Elena went with him to make sure he didn't give the staff a hard time. As Samantha sat there alone, the doors of the Trauma Room flew open and the gurney bearing her supervisor whizzed past her. She stood up and watched as he was hurried into a waiting elevator. She didn't know whether to follow them or to stay where she was. A nurse noticed the lost look on her face as she exited the Trauma Room and spoke to her.

"They're taking him to surgery now," she informed her.

"How is he?" Samantha asked desperately.

"He's holding his own," she said kindly. "I'll get one of the doctors to talk to you when he returns."

Samantha thanked her and sat back down. Martin and Vivienne arrived at the E.R. around then. They found a dejected looking Agent Spade waiting for news.

"How's Jack?" Martin asked as he sat beside her.

"They've taken him to surgery," she replied looking up with red eyes.

"How are you doing?" Vivienne asked, knowing how hard this must be on Samantha. Sam smiled at her thoughtfulness. She was unable to answer for fear of crying again. Viv saw this and put a comforting arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards her.

"He'll be fine," she said confidently. "This is Jack Malone we're talking about."

Martin and Sam both smiled at her attempts to reassure them both. They were only a few minutes sitting there when the doors of the elevator opened and one of the doctors who treated Jack in the Trauma Room approached them. Samantha recognised him immediately and stood up.

"Are you relatives of Jack Malone?" he asked.

"Yes," Samantha interjected before anyone could explain that they were in fact just work colleagues.

"He's currently being prepped for a laparotomy and during the course of that the object will be removed from his abdomen. The extent of damage from both the bullet and the object can then be assessed. The prognosis is unclear until we can determine what organs have been compromised. If he remains hemodynamically stable the orthopaedic surgeon will simultaneously carry out the surgery to repair the femur and the radial fracture," the doctor explained. The three agents listened intently.

"You can wait in the waiting area on the surgical floor is you wish. Someone will come and talk to you once the surgery is complete," the doctor told them.

The three agents thanked the doctor. Sam and Viv followed his directions to the fifth floor while Martin went to look for Danny and Elena and fill them in on what was going on. It looked like it was going to be a long day.

_**A/N - well thats my first chapter of the decade. Hope u like it. Its going to be pretty angsty from here on in. R & R appreciated as always.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N - brace yourselves guys, angst fest from here on!**_

Samantha and Vivienne found a comfortable waiting room complete with coffee machine and vending machines on the fifth floor close to the Surgical Units. They each sat and waited on news of their supervisor. They were the only two in the waiting room. They hardly spoke, each knowing that words would not make them feel any better. The silence was deafening. Thankfully it was shattered by the shrill ring tone from Vivienne's phone.

"Agent Johnson," she said as she answered it.

"Vivienne, its Maria Malone. I've just been watching the news reports about the explosion at your building. I can't reach Jack. Is he with you?" she asked sounding concerned.

"Maria!?" Viv said loudly enough to get Samantha's attention. Sam looked up immediately at the mention of the former Mrs. Malone. "I, eh, I should have called you. I don't know what I was thinking," Viv said apologetically.

"Called me? What's happened Vivienne? Where's Jack?" she asked her voice raising an octave.

"I'm at the hospital, Maria. Jack was caught in the blast. He's undergoing surgery now," Vivienne informed her. There was stunned silence on the other end of the line as Maria digested the news.

"Maria, are you still there?" Viv asked.

"Yeah, yes I'm here," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "How bad is it, Vivienne?"

"From what I'm led to believe, it's pretty serious. He has suffered a penetrating wound to his abdomen and crush injuries," Viv told her.

"Oh my God! What am I going to tell the girls?" Maria asked sounding distressed.

"Maybe don't say anything until we know more. I'll call you as soon as he's out of surgery," Vivienne promised. Maria thanked her and hung up. Viv turned to Sam.

"How did she take the news?" Sam wondered.

"She's naturally upset and worried for her kids," Viv replied. "She doesn't know what to tell them." Sam nodded in understanding and felt very sorry for Jack's two little girls. They loved their Dad so much. It was hard for them to be so far apart from him and vice versa. But at least he would make a point to visit as often as his job allowed. How would they cope if he didn't make it? No, she wouldn't allow herself such thoughts. Jack was going to make it. He had to.

She sat there and allowed her mind to drift back to the first time she and Jack got together. It was accidental really. She had been with the team a couple of years and had always been attracted to Jack even though she knew he was married. He was good looking, capable, confident and a good person. He bent and broke rules in order to get the jobs done. She liked the risk taking. She had caught him checking her out on more than one occasion during their few years working together but Jack had always kept their relationship purely professional. Then one night after a particularly tough case the whole team went out for drinks to unwind. One by one their group dwindled in numbers as individuals called it a night and soon she and Jack found themselves sitting side by side in the corner of a bar, just the two of them. Jack made a joke about such situations being how rumours got started. Sam told him to loosen up and she reached across and took hold of his tie and loosened the knot. Suggestively she kept hold of his tie and found her self gazing into his seductive hazel eyes. He held her gaze and she realised there and then what she wanted. Using his tie, she pulled him closer to her and placed her lips on his. He hesitated momentarily but then gave in to the desires that he had been battling for so long. She felt electrified as their passion ignited at last. At the time they had no idea what they had started. That night she took Jack back to her place and they spent their first night together. She often wondered what excuse he gave to his wife the next morning for not going home. He never said and she never asked. Whenever they were together he made a point of not speaking about Maria or the girls. Samantha was glad. It made her feel less of a home wrecker and allowed her to imagine that they had a straight forward, uncomplicated relationship.

At work their professional relationship never changed. He was her boss and she treated him and respected him as she should. Their liaisons were always discreet. No one suspected anything as far as either of them could tell. However as things became more difficult for Jack as his marriage began to disintegrate he decided to take a step away from their relationship. He decided for his children's sake that he should commit himself more to his marriage. Sam was heartbroken. Her feelings of hurt surprised her. She had never envisaged the marriage and kids thing with Jack but then seeing how he was prepared to try so hard to save what he had, it made her jealous. Deep down Sam wished that she was Maria. Maria was going to have Jack in her future. That was what Samantha wanted more than anything.

After that it was hard for her to spend every day at the office with Jack and stay focused on their work. Sometimes she felt like he was avoiding her, especially when it seemed like she was always being teamed up with either Danny or Martin and rarely with Jack. Then after months of this awkwardness, she was in his office one day and he mentioned to her that he had moved out of home. She couldn't hide the fleeting little smile that crossed her face. Was this what she had waited for? But when he told her that he had moved out over three months previous, she felt hurt. Three months! Why hadn't he told her before now? Why didn't he call her? She felt so hurt and confused. She no longer knew where she stood in his life, if indeed she had a place there at all. He never tried to talk to her. It was almost as though he just shut down. And this was how they currently stood. On a few occasions she felt a glimmer of hope when he let his guard down and opened up to her. It might only be a comment or a fleeting touch but to her it was progress. At least she hoped it was.

And now this had happened. What if she never got the chance to tell him how she felt? She closed her eyes and joined her hands and offered up a rare but heart felt prayer that the man she loved would be spared. Vivienne watched Samantha and realised that she was praying. She had never taken Samantha to be religious. She had never heard her speak of church or beliefs but it was usually only during testing times that people realise their beliefs and needs. She decided to join her in a silent prayer for their colleague. As the two women sat in silence they were joined by the rest of the team.

Danny sat close to Vivienne, his face had been cleaned up and his head wound stitched. Elena sat with him and held his hand, sensing how worried he was for Jack. Martin lowered himself into the chair beside Sam. He placed his hand on her joined hands just to remind her that she wasn't alone. He knew how she felt about Jack. He felt the same about Sam but knew he wouldn't stand a chance given the strength of her feelings for Jack. Sometimes he resented how Jack treated her but knew better than to interfere. Jack was a good man, had always been good to him but he was a troubled man. He tended to get too involved with his cases. He carried the ghosts of those they lost with him, he knew that. He lacked the ability to separate his life from his job and he had suffered as a result. Now Martin hoped that his job didn't cost him his life.

They sat restlessly in that waiting room. Minutes turned to hours and still they waited until eventually a surgeon still dressed in his theatre scrubs entered the room. Samantha and Danny got quickly to their feet. Sam tried to read the expression on the doctor's face.

"Are you here for Jack Malone?" he asked looking around the room. They all replied yes.

"I'm Dr. Eastman. I operated on Agent Malone. The surgery went as well as could be expected. The object perforated his colon and when we removed it we experienced a few problems controlling the bleeding but we got it under control. We've packed the abdomen and he stabilised. Because of the high risk of infection with such an injury we've left the incision open so we can effectively combat any infection. Dr. McKay, our Orthopaedic Surgeon spent a lot of time working on his leg. The femur was badly damaged but he's pinned it and with physio he should regain full use of the limb. Right now our biggest concern is the risk of post op complications. As well as the risk of infection there's the added risk from the crush injuries. He will require round the clock monitoring as the proteins released from crushed muscle can result in kidney failure," he explained.

The doctor obviously noticed Samantha's expression change when he mentioned that.

"Oh, don't worry. We'll be watching for the slightest sign. His condition is still critical and he's being moved to the Intensive Care Unit where he'll be on hourly obs. As soon as he's settled in I will send someone to come and get you," he said turning to leave.

"Thank you Doctor," Vivienne said stopping him and shaking his hand. As he left Martin turned to Samantha.

"You see, I knew he'd be okay," he said pulling her close to him. Sam looked at him as if he was out of his mind.

"Didn't you hear the doctor? He's not out of the woods yet," she said crossly sitting back down. She needed to see Jack. She needed to be close to him.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity a young nurse came and escorted them to the ICU and showed them to Jack's room.

"Only one or two at a time please," she said as she showed them to the door. Samantha walked straight in, not waiting for a discussion about who should go in first. She entered alone and approached the bed hesitantly.

Jack looked just as deathly pale as he had when he was in the ambulance. He was intubated and sedated which would give his body a chance to heal. His left forearm arm was plastered and resting on the bed beside him. A sheet covered his body and hid the abdominal injuries he had suffered from view. A cage protected his shattered leg from the weight of the bed clothes. A unit of plasma hung from the drip stand and gradually flowed into his arm. A cardiac monitor beeped steadily in the background. Samantha drew closer to the head of the bed and took hold of Jack's uninjured right hand. She knew that the team were watching through the window but at that time couldn't have cared less. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Jack's forehead.

"Come back to me, Jack. Please," she whispered in his ear. "I need you. Your girls need you."

She pulled over a chair and sat down just as Danny came in. He walked up to Jack and then looked over at Sam.

"You know, while we were in the building, I really didn't think he'd make it out of there," he admitted. Sam reached out for his hand. She could see how cut up he was about the whole thing. "I should have gone with him, Sam. He went over to the guys in the van. I should never have let him go alone."

"Danny, this isn't your fault," Sam said to the emotional young agent. "You couldn't have known what they were doing. You did great under the circumstances. You kept him alive long enough to get medical attention. You did great," she said standing up and hugging him. Danny sobbed into her arms finally letting go of the shock and emotion of the experience that he had been holding in. The two agents stayed with Jack for a while until Elena came in and insisted on taking Danny home. He was exhausted so she insiste4ded that he come home with her and rest. Eventually he gave in to the pressure and bid the others goodbye. He made them promise to call him if there was any change in Jack's condition.

Martin and Viv took turns coming in and sitting with Jack. All the while Samantha never left his side. A nurse came in regularly to check his vitals and make notes on his chart. That evening the doctor called by to check on him.

"So, how's our patient doing?" he asked as he entered the room. A tired looking Sam sat up straight and looked up at him as he checked the chart. "Good," he commented as he flicked a page.

"How is he Doctor?" Sam asked nervously.

"As well as can be expected at this stage," he replied. "His B.P. is steady, SATs are good. He's doing fine. We'll have to keep him sedated for the next 48 hours and then we'll see how it goes. You should really go home and get some rest. There's not much you can do here tonight," he suggested.

"I'd rather stay if I could," Sam replied instantly.

"Sure, if you must," he replied. He bid them good night and told them that he'd check in again in the morning.

"Sam, you really should get some rest," Martin said looking at the shattered young woman.

"No, really, I'm fine. I want to stay with him," she insisted. "You two go ahead. I'll be fine."

Despite their best efforts to convince her to go home, Sam stayed in the ICU room for the night. Vivienne had to get home for Reggie and Martin left shortly after her. Sam only left the ICU to get some coffee and a sandwich later that night. When she got back she found that a nurse had left her a pillow and a blanket. She curled up in the chair, pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

When Vivienne reached home she found comfort with her family after she told them of the day she had. She ate dinner prepared by her husband and then remembered Maria Malone. She took her cell phone and found her number. She called it and it was answered quickly.

"Maria?" Viv asked as a woman answered.

"Yes, Vivienne. How is he?" she asked straight away.

"He came through the surgery and he's in the ICU now. He's still in a critical condition. The doctor said that there's a high risk of infection because of the nature of his injury. They're keeping him sedated for the time being," she explained.

"What are his chances, Viv? I mean should I to take the girls to see him?" Maria wondered.

"I can't answer that, Maria. I wish I could but right now we just don't know," Viv replied.

"Okay. Thank you, Vivienne. I'm going to have to tell them anyway that their Daddy has been hurt. I don't want them seeing it on the news. I'll call you tomorrow," she said sensibly.

After their conversation ended Vivienne hung up and looked over at her son. She certainly didn't envy Maria Malone having to tell her children that their father was in the hospital, let alone seriously injured. She knew the risks involved in her job and had always accepted them as part and parcel of it. She had never looked at it from the angle of those she loved suffering because of that danger. She hugged her son and husband and hoped that they would never be put in that position because of her.

**_A/N - well, too angsty? Can you take some more? How about some J/S mush? Let me know!!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N - I'd just like to thank DianeM37 my recently appointed Beta and jjbird for their input. Thanks to all who are tuning in and reviewing to this fic!_**

The following morning Samantha was woken by the sound of two nurses entering the room. They smiled kindly at her and made polite conversation as she straightened herself up before turning their attention to the patient in the bed.

"We have to clean his wound now. You might prefer not to be here," one of them suggested.

"Oh, I don't mind. You can go ahead," Sam replied, pushing her chair back out of the way and allowing them greater access to Jack. She stood back and watched as the nurses donned face masks and sterile gloves and laid out their supplies on a tray on the bed. They pulled back the sheet and opened up the surgical gown that Jack wore. It revealed a large bloodstained dressing covering a large portion of Jack's abdomen. Samantha wasn't prepared for the sight that she witnessed once they removed the gauze. A large open incision extended from the bottom of Jack's rib cage to his navel. As the nurses began to remove surgical packs from inside the wound, Sam first noticed the foul smell from the infected tissue. She felt like she was going to be sick so she quickly made her excuses and left the room. As the nurses continued to clean the infected area, Samantha stood outside the door with her back against the wall and gulped the stale air. Tears streamed down her face as the realisation of exactly how ill Jack was began to sink in.

Even though she had spent the entire night at his side and knew the extent of the surgery and the likelihood of infection, it wasn't until she witnessed the actual aftermath did the reality hit home. Until then it had all just been words. After the nurses finished looking after Jack, they left the room and stopped to talk to her again.

"Sorry about that," Sam said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it. It's not a pleasant sight," one of them replied.

"So how is he?" Sam asked.

"There was a lot of infected material in the wound. We've removed what we could and cleaned the area and repacked it. I'll send the doctor to talk to you later," she said compassionately, touching Samantha's arm. "Why don't you go and get some breakfast and take a break, Mrs. Malone?"

"Oh, eh, I'm not Mrs. Malone," Sam said, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed," the nurse said, mortified.

"That's okay," Sam said with a smile. "I'm Agent Spade. We just work together."

The nurse nodded and smiled awkwardly. Even she could see that the emotions Agent Spade was displaying reached far beyond any working relationship she had ever experienced. They left the FBI agent to compose herself and they continued on with their daily duties. Sam decided to take their advice and she found the cafeteria. She ordered coffee and a breakfast bagel and sat there for a while. She sipped the coffee but hardly touched the bagel. She wasn't as hungry as she thought she was. Even though Jack had a good night, something niggled at her and she couldn't shake that feeling of dread that had been gnawing at her all night.

When she returned to the room in ICU, it was full of medical personnel. At first she panicked a bit thinking something had happened to Jack but then she realised that everyone appeared relaxed in the room. She saw Dr. Eastman was among the white coats surrounding Jack's bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, sensing she was interrupting.

"That's okay, Agent Spade. We're just checking up on Agent Malone's progress," he said, reading the chart and checking the monitors. "We've decided to increase the dose of antibiotics, as the infection is taking a greater hold than I would have expected. Thankfully, his vitals are holding steady. Considering the trauma his body has suffered, he's doing remarkably well," he said, appeasing her fears slightly. "We'll leave you to it. I'll call by later. For now we should continue our rounds," he said to his students as he headed to the door. Sam smiled faintly at the departing doctors and then resumed her position right by Jack's side.

"Trust you to have half the hospital fussing over you," she said to him, joking and giving his arm a gentle squeeze. He didn't stir.

As she settled back into the chair, there was a soft knock on the door. She looked up to see a smiling Danny Taylor standing there.

"Hey, Danny," Sam said, glad to see him.

"Hey yourself," Danny said, leaning down and giving her a peck on the cheek. "So, how's he doing?"

"There's no change really. He's got an infection but they don't seem overly concerned," Sam told him.

"You look tired, Sam. Why don't you go home and freshen up, get some sleep. I can stay with him all morning. I have to meet the Counter Terrorism Unit at 2 pm, though. They want a statement about what happened," Danny informed her.

"In all the confusion I never asked you what happened up there," Samantha said inquisitively.

"That's what gets to me, Sam. It just seemed like any other day. We were heading to pick up the car when Jack noticed a van over at the east elevator. He asked me if I thought it was odd. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed it until he pointed it out. Now that I think of it, of course it was odd. Only tagged vehicles should be able to gain access to anywhere above the first floor. Jack told me to go ahead and get the car while he checked it out. I'm such an idiot. I let him go over there by himself," Danny said as he walked and replayed it in his head.

"Don't, Danny, I told you it's not your fault," Samantha said, interjecting, "What happened then?"

"That's the thing, I don't really know. I was in the car when I heard gunfire. I ran towards it and then I remember being hit by a blast of hot air and then nothing. When I came to, it was like Armageddon--dust and flames everywhere. The way I see it, whoever they planned to take out in the FBI office, Jack interrupted them before they got the bomb to where they intended. Whether they set it off early or it went off accidentally, I don't know, but I think Jack saved a lot of lives yesterday," Danny said, looking at the wounded agent on the bed. "It could have been so much worse."

Samantha knew he was right. She had been so worried about Jack all this time that she hadn't even considered the consequences had the bombers successfully detonated the bomb inside their building. It would have taken out the heart of the FBI in New York. Dozens, if not hundreds, of people could have been killed or injured. Luckily no one was killed. Almost twenty people in the office building on the third floor had been injured by flying debris, but Jack's injuries had been by far the most serious. She looked at his bruised features and considered how lucky they were. He was alive and he was fighting, and that was better than the alternative.

Danny finally managed to convince Samantha to go home for a few hours and rest. He promised that if there was any change in Jack's condition, he would call her right away. Sam caught a cab to her apartment and she dozed as the driver took her through the maze of Manhattan streets. As he pulled up outside her building, she woke with a start. She couldn't believe that she had nodded off. She paid him his fare and tiredly dragged herself up the stairs to her apartment. She closed the door of her apartment behind her and threw her keys on the sideboard. She flopped into her sofa and put her head into her hands and let the tears she had been staunching for so long flow openly. She cried for Jack. The last 24 hours had been so testing. She wasn't sure what to do; she felt so helpless. She wanted to make it all right, just to do something. Instead, she cried; tears of frustration, tears of fear, tears of loss intermingled as they streamed down her face. She cried until she could cry no more. She looked around her lonely apartment and realised that she needed to snap out of it. Curling up and feeling sorry for herself was no good to anyone. She needed to be strong for Jack, and going to pieces wasn't an option. It was in times of such trials that people showed what they were made of. She realised that she didn't want to be that person who crumbled when they were needed the most. She stood up and walked into her bathroom and looked at her tear-streaked face in the mirror. She was a mess. She removed her makeup and began to undress. Step one was to shower and after that she would step up and face the world once again.

Meanwhile, as Samantha tried to extricate herself from her gloom, Danny spent a long morning sitting with Jack. He was more than delighted when Vivienne came by close to lunchtime. Still there was no change in Jack's condition. He remained on the respirator and was still heavily sedated. Like clockwork, a nurse would check on him hourly. By 1.30 pm Samantha hadn't returned and Danny had to get to the meeting with CTU, so Vivienne agreed to stay with Jack until she returned. Martin called in at one stage and brought coffees and sandwiches. He was worried by the fact that Jack hadn't shown any signs of improvement and commented on the fact to Viv. She explained what she had been told about the infection and told him that it could be days before his wound was closed and the sedation lifted.

As they sat with Jack, there was a light tap on the door. They both turned around to see Tevez and Rickman, the two FDNY officers, standing there. Martin recognised them immediately and invited them to come in, even though he knew that the nurses wouldn't be so happy to see so many people in the room at one time. He stood up and shook their hands to welcome them.

"He looks better than when we saw him last," Rickman said as he stood by the foot of the bed.

"Certainly does, especially without that pole sticking out of his gut," Tevez commented bluntly. Martin grinned. He held the two men in great esteem, knowing how much they had risked to get Jack and Danny out of that building.

"I never got to thank you guys properly," Martin said gratefully. "He wouldn't be here if you guys hadn't gone up there."

"All part of the job," Tevez replied bashfully.

"No, it's not. You put your own lives on the line. I know that and I'll never be able to repay you for that," Martin said appreciatively.

The two men were embarrassed by Martin's praise and were unsure how to respond, so they said nothing. They stayed for a short while and then wished the agents well and left.

Samantha eventually returned to the ICU in the early evening. She was casually dressed and looked refreshed and rested. She hugged Viv and Martin as she entered.

"No change then?" she asked, going to Jack's bed and taking hold of his hand.

"No," Viv replied. "You look better," she commented.

"I feel better," Sam replied with a smile. "I slept and I guess I realised just what's important."

Vivienne smiled at her, sensing she knew what she was talking about. Martin wasn't sure what she meant and hoped that it didn't mean she was going to get hung up on Jack again. He had hoped that she was over her crush and all the hurt that went with it. He hated seeing her put her life on hold for him, especially when he thought he would be so much better for her. But here she was and judging by the carry-all bag she brought with her, it looked like she was preparing to spend another night at his bedside. As usual, he said nothing and kept his opinions to himself.

Later that evening, Vivienne and Martin left the hospital and Samantha sat alone in the tiny ICU room. While she could have gone home and returned in the morning, she realized that there was nowhere else on earth she wanted to be at that moment.

_**A/N - too much hospital? Let me know if you think I'm dragging it out too much? Next chapter will have more Jack/Sam though. I promise!**_


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days pretty much melded into one for Samantha. She hardly swayed from her round-the-clock vigil by Jack's bedside. On the fourth day, Dr. Eastman came by on his rounds and, having examined Jack's wound and chart, informed Samantha that they would be taking Jack back to surgery to close his incision. By now, she knew what that meant—the infection was clearing. If the incision was closed, he would no longer need to be sedated. He should be waking up. She was delighted at the news. It had been the first good news she had heard since he had been injured.

He was scheduled to return to surgery that afternoon. Samantha read a magazine and waited patiently in his room while he was in the O.R. She sat there, knowing that he should only be a short while. As she waited, she took the opportunity to call the rest of the team and tell them the news. She had only hung up from talking to Danny when she saw a woman standing in the doorway. She recognised her immediately; it was Maria Malone, Jack's ex-wife.

"Agent Spade," Mrs. Malone said coldly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Mrs. Malone!" Sam replied awkwardly. "I, eh …. Jack's back down in surgery," she said, feeling uncomfortable.

"What? Is there something wrong?" Maria asked, her coldness evaporating and concern creeping in.

"No, quite the opposite. The infection is clearing and they're just closing up the surgical incision. It shouldn't take too long I'm told," Samantha explained.

Maria entered the room and wandered around it aimlessly. For the first time in days, Sam felt claustrophobic and wanted to get out of there.

"The girls insisted we come. Nothing I could say would convince them that he's alive. They saw the news reports of the damaged building, the ambulances and because they can't speak to him, they don't believe me. They want to see him with their own eyes. I just had to check what his condition was before I allow them visit," Maria explained.

Samantha nodded, understanding her reasons. There was no point traumatising the kids.

"Physically he looks okay, a few cuts and bruises on his face. He hasn't been conscious since he was admitted, though, so I'm not sure about his frame of mind. The doctors say it's likely he'll be confused and out of sorts when he does wake up," Sam informed her.

"Okay, I might just wait and see him when he comes back, if that's okay," Maria said knowing the suggestion wouldn't be welcome.

"Sure," Sam replied, wishing she'd just leave. "I was just going to get something to eat anyway," she lied, looking to get out of the situation she found herself in. She bid Maria Malone goodbye and made a swift exit towards the elevator. Gosh, that was awkward, she thought as she made her way to the cafeteria.

About twenty minutes later Jack was wheeled back into the room accompanied by a number of nurses and doctors. They looked at Maria, not realising who she was.

"Are you a relative?" one of the nurses asked.

"I'm his wife, well, ex-wife," Maria explained. Dr. Eastman, who was also present, noticed Samantha's absence immediately. She had been the one constant in the room during the last few days. He was starting to get a picture of his patient's life. Awkward, he thought.

"How is he, Doctor?" Maria asked as the nurses settled her ex-husband back into the bed.

"His condition has improved immensely. His temperature is back to normal pretty much and the wound his clean. We're withholding the sedation now and hope he will regain consciousness in the next few hours," he said, watching as a nurse placed a nasal cannula under Jack's nose and over his ears. They raised the back of the bed so that he was in a semi-seated position.

Maria looked at him. Seeing him looking so ill it upset her. Even though they were no longer married, he was still the father of her children and the man she had loved for many years. Despite their differences, he would always hold a place in her heart. As the medical staff began to leave the room, she approached his sleeping form. She gently brushed his forehead before taking his hand in hers.

"Jack, it's me…Maria. The girls wanted to see you. They're scared and they want their daddy. You need to wake up, Jack, and get well… okay? I'll bring the girls in as soon as you're feeling better. Kate had her birthday party. We took pictures. She really missed you not being there. She was so looking forward to your visit this weekend. Now she'll be here to visit you," Maria said, squeezing his hand. "I'd better go. I think I'm standing on Samantha's toes by being here. She still likes you, Jack, even I can see that," she said as she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll call back tomorrow and maybe bring the girls, okay?"

--------

Samantha was relieved that by the time she had returned to the ICU room, Maria Malone was nowhere to be seen. She resumed her vigil beside Jack. He looked so much better now that the tube had been removed from his throat and he was raised up.

The next few hours flew by. A steady stream of people called by to see how he was doing, including Elena and Danny and Paula Van Doren, their boss. Soon it was just the two of them again. That's when Samantha noticed the first few signs that Jack was starting to wake up. Initially the expression on his face changed slightly. He no longer looked as relaxed and frown lines started to appear on his forehead and around his eyes. Once or twice she noticed his eyelids struggling to open and his breathing deepened.

"Jack?" she said, pulling in closer to him and again taking his hand. She felt a squeeze as he made a loose fist. She squeezed back, letting him know that she was there. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and blinked several times as he tried to clear the haze that distorted his vision. He could hear a voice speaking to him. He turned his head towards the soft tones and smiled as he realised who it was.

"Hey, Jack," she said sweetly as their eyes met.

"Hey," he replied hoarsely.

"You gave us quite a scare," Sam informed him, raising his hand and kissing the back of it. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital," he replied weakly.

"Yeah, the doctors say you're going to be fine," Sam told him. Jack nodded. He tried to moisten his dry lips.

"Here," Sam said and offered him some ice chips. He gratefully accepted as she ran the ice over his parched lips. It was then that he noticed the cage protecting from his left leg. He couldn't feel his leg. His heart rate increased and his breathing quickened as he feared the worst.

"My leg…is it…?" he asked fearful of the answer.

"It was broken pretty badly but they were able to save it," she told him. "No soccer for you for a while though."

Jack smiled, relieved that he was still in one piece. His eyelids felt so heavy. He was struggling to stay awake. Sam could see how difficult it was for him.

"You rest, Jack. I'll be here when you wake," Sam promised and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Jack closed his eyes and allowed himself to be lured back into the slumber.

It was five hours before he opened his eyes again. This time it was a bit easier. The room was quiet. He moved slightly in the bed to try and get more comfortable and instantly regretted it. What was once a nagging ache in his gut erupted into an excruciating blaze of agony. His muffled cry snapped Samantha immediately out of her relaxed state.

"Jack? Oh God Jack, are you okay?" she asked, watching as the battle against the pain creased his brow. His eyelids pressed tightly shut and his teeth clenched as his breathing quickened and he tried to recover from the suddenness of the bolt of pain.

"I'll get someone," Sam said, fearing there was something seriously wrong. She left the room and hurried to the nurse's station where she commandeered a nurse and dragged her back to the ICU room.

By the time she returned, Jack's breathing had regularised and he seemed to have relaxed.

"Is everything all right, Mr. Malone?" the nurse asked, as she checked his radial pulse.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Guess I shouldn't have tried to move, that's all."

Well, you've got to remember that you've had major surgery, Mr. Malone. If you need anything, press this button," she said, handing him the call button. "That includes if you need to change position. Your wound was only closed hours ago. It will need time to heal so you need to give it time. Do you need your pain meds topped up?"

"No, I think I'm okay….once I don't move," Jack replied as the nurse raised the bed slightly and plumped up his pillows. "Thanks," Jack said as he started to feel a bit more comfortable.

"No heroics, okay?" the nurse said as she left the room smiling. Jack looked over at Sam and raised his eyebrows comically. She grinned back at him, happy to see he was putting his best foot forward.

"You're still here," Jack said, as Samantha returned to her chair near his bed.

"I told you I would be," she replied.

"You don't have to stay, you know," Jack said.

"I know but I want to," Sam replied. Jack smiled. He very much wanted her to stay but didn't want her to feel like she had to. He reached and took her hand.

"Do you remember what happened?" Samantha asked more to test his recall than to get information.

"Just bits of it. I remember getting shot," he said, lying back and staring up at the ceiling as if it would help his recollection. "I returned fire then there's nothing but blank. I do remember Danny telling me off at some stage," he said smiling.

"He told you off?" Sam repeated, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, he was pretty annoyed, I can't remember why," Jack said, racking his brain. "Did he get out okay?"

"He's fine. He and Elena were here earlier this morning," Sam informed him.

"Must ask him why next time I see him," Jack said. "I remember some guy giving me oxygen and telling me to breathe normally and thinking, I would if I could. After that it's pretty much a blank."

"Don't worry, it'll come back," Sam replied, reassuring him. "Did I tell you that Maria was here?"

Jack looked at her with a surprised expression on his face. Sam nodded.

"And the girls?" Jack asked.

"They haven't been yet. You've been too ill and Maria didn't want to upset them," Samantha informed him. "Poor things were so worried about you."

"It was Kate's birthday yesterday. I was supposed to be going up there this weekend," Jack told her. He released her hand from his and rubbed his forehead to relieve the headache which was brewing. Sam noticed but decided not to fuss. He wouldn't want her to be overbearing.

"It was Kate's birthday last Friday," Sam corrected. Jack looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Last Friday? How long have I been here?" Jack enquired.

"Four days," Sam replied.

"Four days? Right," he said, digesting what he had been told. He started to consider the implications. It probably meant that he had been in bad shape when he was admitted. And if Maria and the kids had travelled from Chicago, they must have thought the worst. Also, judging by how exhausted Samantha looked, she must have spent the last few days either with him or worrying about him. He began to realise that maybe he was lucky to be alive. Although right now he didn't feel very lucky. His head ached, his stomach was tender and sore, his leg throbbed and his broken arm itched. All in all he felt like death warmed up.

He reached back and took Samantha's hand again. At least she stayed, he thought. Even after everything, she stayed. He closed his eyes as the pain became more noticeable and tried to control it by breathing through it. Sam noticed this and pressed the call button without hesitation. Jack didn't make any objection. When the nurse returned with the pain medication, she injected it into his I.V. line. The meds made Jack drowsy and pretty soon he had slipped away into dreamtime.

_**A/N - at last, Jack's awake!! Sorry for the delay in getting the chapters up. Will work on that! Thanks for your reviews. **_


	8. Chapter 8

When Jack woke, for a moment he had no idea where he was. Then the lingering aroma of disinfectant and bareness of the walls reminded him exactly where he was. He turned, hoping to see Samantha but she wasn't there. His heart sank. How he had longed to wake up with her at his side again. She must have gone home, he presumed. He wondered what time it was. There was no window in his room and only artificial light filtered in from the nurse's station and corridor. He could see through the blinds that hung on the glass wall that there were people standing talking outside his room. He couldn't make out who they were. He lay there for a while, thankful that the medication was taking the daggers out of the discomfort he was feeling. Using his good arm, he decided to inspect the damage for himself. He removed the sheet that covered him and tentatively raised the hospital gown that protected his modesty. He saw the dressing and the brownish bloodstain that tarnished it. He was tempted to remove it to check out his scar but then thought better of it, maybe when he was feeling a bit better. He noted the yellow and purple of the bruising which adorned his ribs. He tried to figure out how he had come by those and presumed it was from the impact of the explosion.

He couldn't stretch his right arm across to his broken left leg without hurting his stitches, but could feel the weight of the cast on his limb. It dawned on him that he was going to be laid up for a hell of a long time. He hated being sick. He hated missing work, staying at home and trying to fill the days with nothing. His family were hundreds of miles away, most of his friendships had pretty much fizzled out when his marriage did, and his work colleagues would be busy working. He had no one. He had pushed away the one person he truly desired. She was hardly going to want him now he was practically an invalid. She was probably only sticking around out of some misguided sense of loyalty. He hoped that the fact that she was there when he first woke meant that she still had feelings for him.

He was miles away when a tiny innocent voice pulled him back to reality.

"Daddy!" she cried, as she rushed towards him.

"Kate! Hanna!" Jack said, delighted to see his beautiful girls walk through the door. He struggled to raise himself up so that he could hug them. "Hey," he said, acknowledging Maria's presence. He put his uninjured arm around his girls as best he could, grimacing at the effort. Maria was quick to intervene.

"Easy girls, Daddy is still very sore from his operation," she explained touching them both on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Maria," Jack said, not wanting to let them go, pain or no pain.

"You see, Hanna, I told you he was fine," Kate said, turning to her older sister.

"No you didn't. You cried all night because you thought he was dead," Hanna snarled back at her.

"No I didn't!" Kate barked back.

"Did too!"

"Girls, Daddy doesn't want to hear your fighting," Maria said, intervening again. Jack grinned. How he missed the squabbles and sniping of family life.

"Does it hurt, Daddy?" Kate asked, innocently looking at the cage over Jack's leg.

"A little," Jack replied, sparing the truth. "So, tell me, how was your party?" he asked, tossing her hair.

"It was fun but I wish you were there. I got a new High School Musical doll and Mom and Hanna gave me a Super Mario Nintendo game. I have it here. You can borrow it if you like," she offered sweetly.

"Thanks, Katie," Jack smiled. "You'll have to show me how to play it later."

"I will," she replied.

Jack looked over at his elder daughter. She stood back and was reluctant to get close to him. Her quietness disturbed him.

"Hey, Han, are you okay? You're very quiet," Jack commented. She didn't even look at him. "Is there something wrong?"

The child was biting her lip. She was trying her best to hide the tears that were so obviously building in her eyes. Maria and Jack exchanged glances. There was no doubt that the older sibling was hurting.

"Hanna, come here," he said, extending out his arm. Reluctantly she approached him. Jack gestured to Maria for them to be left alone. Maria understood the subtle nod of his head and suggested to Kate that they go and get a soda. Once they had left the room, Jack spoke to Hanna.

"I am okay, Hanna. It may take a few months but then I'll be back to my old self," Jack told her honestly. Her dark eyes met his and the tears began to flow down her cheeks. He patted the mattress beside him, urging her to sit up beside him. She did and he pulled her into a tight one-armed hug. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"I hate your job, Daddy," she cried, much to his surprise. He didn't know what to say. "Why can't you just get a regular job like other people?" she sobbed.

Jack felt the emotions within him build and his eyes filled with tears. He blinked them back, hoping that his little girl would not see how upset he was becoming. Her distress was breaking his heart and he knew it was all his fault.

"I'm sorry, Han," he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"So, will you stop?" she asked out of the blue. Jack was stunned. Stop, how could he stop? His job was his life. It was the only reason he got up in the morning. He made a difference, he knew that.

"I'm not sure I can," he replied truthfully. He raised his chin from her head and placed his palm gently on her face and turned her towards him. "You know how important my job is. I find missing people. They need me."

"I need you, Daddy. You could have died," Hanna replied sadly.

"I know you do kid. But some day you'll understand why I do this. What happened to me was not part of work. It was beyond my control. I don't take risks, Hanna," he explained, hearing himself saying the words and knowing that they weren't entirely true. He took risks if and when they were warranted. He had never thoroughly considered the toll those risks could have on the lives of his daughters. He tended to forget that his daughters were growing up. They were beginning to understand life and death, especially Hanna. She was a bright kid, he knew that. She would soon be in high school and, like every other kid, struggling with the pressures that came with high school life. The thought that she would be wasting her teenage angst worrying about him, instead of mundane high school matters, gutted him. He had no idea how to assuage her worries. So he just kept his arm protectively around her and held her close.

As he continued to lean towards his daughter, Jack could feel his incision stitches straining uncomfortably but was hesitant to disturb Hanna with that fact. However, after a few minutes of grinning and bearing it, he relented and shifted uncomfortably as he tried to alleviate the pain. Hanna sensed his discomfort and immediately stood up, stepped back and looked at him with a worried expression.

"Daddy, are you okay?" she asked, unsure whether or not to call for assistance.

"I'm fine, Hanna. I'm just sore. I'll be fine once I sit up straight," he told her, winking at her to try and set her mind at ease. She accepted his word and returned to sit beside him. That's the way Maria found them when she and Kate returned with sodas for everyone.

"Are you allowed to have one?" Maria asked her ex-husband.

"Not yet," Jack replied, pointing to the nil by mouth sign over his head, "but thanks."

"Girls, why don't you see if you can find the gift shop?" Maria suggested, handing the girls twenty dollars. They were delighted and as they left the room were eagerly discussing what they should buy.

"Now you can tell me how you really feel, Jack?" she asked, once they had been left alone.

"Honestly, like I've been hit by a truck," he replied candidly.

"What are you going to do, I mean once you get out of here?" Maria asked.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead," Jack replied. "There's always a convalescent home for a few weeks I guess."

"You know, I can't see you enjoying that," Maria commented with a smile, knowing Jack all too well.

"Maybe not," Jack grinned, hating the thoughts of it. "Don't exactly have many options though."

"Well, you can always stay with us in Chicago….until you get back on your feet," Maria offered much to Jack's surprise. Jack hesitated.

"I'm not sure if that would be a good idea, Maria," Jack stammered uncomfortably. "I mean, wouldn't it confuse the girls?"

"Maybe? The offer is there. All you need to do is call," Maria said, not wanting to put any pressure on him.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Jack replied. The former couple conversed openly for a while until their daughters returned bearing a huge get well card for their father and a cuddly toy.

"His name is Kiddo. He'll be there to hug you when we're not," Kate said, handing him the sandy brown bear.

"Kiddo, eh? He's great. I love him," Jack said enthusiastically, accepting the bear and making a point of putting him under his chin and giving him a big squeeze.

"Okay, girls, time to say goodbye to Daddy," Maria said, noticing how tired Jack looked all of a sudden. "The doctors said he needs lots of rest. We can come and visit again tomorrow before we leave."

Jack's heart sank upon learning that they would be returning to Chicago so soon. Maria noticed how his expression changed all of a sudden.

"I have work," she said apologetically. He smiled feebly, understanding that his ex-wife had commitments. He was surprised that she had even brought his girls to New York but he was hugely grateful. They all gave him a kiss before bidding him farewell.

Once they had left he, rested his head back against the pillows and drew in a deep, exhausted breath. He had never felt so tired in all his life. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the nagging ache in his gut. It didn't take long until he succumbed to his body's needs and slept.

Samantha watched from afar as Maria and the girls waited for the elevator and left the hospital. She felt glad for Jack's sake that they had come. She knew how much he loved his kids. A visit from them would be worth more to his recovery than any medicine.

She returned to Jack's room once they had left. She popped her head around the door and noticed that he was lying back, looking very relaxed. Quietly she entered the room. It was then that she realised he was sleeping. She looked at the expression on his face as he slept. Much to her relief, the drawn, pained expression that had been evident for the last few days had given way to a much more relaxed and content appearance. Obviously his visitors had done the trick.

She resumed her usual position at his bedside and sat watching him sleep. It had also crossed her mind where Jack would go once he had been released from hospital. He certainly wouldn't be able to look after himself for some time. She sat and tried to get it straight in her head what she wanted ultimately and if there was a way to achieve it. She observed Jack as he slept soundly and hoped that he too wanted what she wanted. They needed to talk.

_**A/N - next chapter will be lots of Jack/Sam so stick around!! As usual, would love to hear what you think.**_


	9. Chapter 9

A couple of hours later Samantha noticed that the pace of Jack's breathing had quickened and even though he was sleeping, his features displayed the signs of stress. She got a shock when his eyes suddenly bolted open and he woke with a start. He panted heavily and looked straight ahead as he emerged from his nightmare. Samantha stood up and was quickly by his side. She placed her palms on his face, hoping the physical contact of another would appease his anxiety.

"Jack! It's okay. You're safe," she said, trying to reassure him. His eyes met hers and she could see the panic behind them. His breathing gradually slowed and the rigidity left his body. He relaxed into the comforting shoulder that she offered.

"You're safe, Jack," she repeated softly as her hand stroked the back of his head.

Jack felt relieved to wake up and realise that it was only a dream. In it he was still trapped beneath the rubble and couldn't breathe. It felt all too real until he found himself being drawn into the seductive eyes of Samantha Spade. He knew that if she was there, then everything would be okay. She was all he needed. He could get through anything knowing she was there. He realised that this was something he should have told her years ago. It would be unfair to dump all this on her now.

Her hand continued to caress the back of his head. He found it extremely soothing. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled him closer to her. He leaned his head to the side and rested it on her chest. He could hear the beating of her heart and the serenity of her breathing. The scenario whisked him back years to times they had spent in each other's arms. After making love, they used to lie in bed and talk, usually about insignificant things that were going on around them. She would make him laugh with her witty remarks or commentaries. He laughed a lot when he was with her. But their nights were often cut short because he had to get home. That was always the sore point in their relationship. While he knew Samantha understood his situation, sometimes her jealousy got the better of her and she would give him a hard time. He couldn't blame her really. She would to go to bed with him by her side and then wake up alone. She hated that and the knowledge that he would go home and get into bed with his wife irked her more than she would let on. A few cautious but snide comments throughout the day were enough for Jack to get the message.

"Penny for them?" Sam said, noticing Jack was deep in thought as he rested against her.

"What?" Jack replied, snapping out of his reflection.

"Penny for your thoughts," Sam repeated with an inviting smile.

"I was just remembering the last time you held me like this," Jack replied, looking up into her eyes once more.

"Oh," Sam said, surprised but pleased by his admittance. "It's been a while."

"I've missed it," Jack confessed openly.

"Me too," Sam replied, leaning down and placing a soft yet formidable kiss on his lips. He didn't pull away, much to her relief.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," Jack said, when they finally did release from the embrace.

_Oh, God, _Sam thought with dread_. I've misread the situation. I'm such an idiot!_

"I treated you so badly," Jack continued. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Sam looked at him and could see the emotion in his eyes. She realised that she hadn't misinterpreted anything. The kiss was significant after all.

"Of course I can," she replied considerately. "I don't blame you, Jack. Your situation was impossible. You did what you had to do, I understand that."

"But I hurt you," Jack reminded her.

"Yeah, but I know you tried not to," she smiled kindly. "I could see you were hurting too."

"Yeah, well I deserved it," Jack pointed out.

"Yes you did!" Sam replied, with a mischievous grin. Jack allowed himself a smile in agreement. Sam leaned down to kiss him again, but as she did so the door of the room opened and in bounded Danny Taylor.

"Hey, you two, am I interrupting?" Danny asked, sensing that their closer than necessary position had some more intimate purpose. Sam and Jack exchanged glances.

"Not at all," Sam replied, as she covertly increased the distance between herself and Jack.

"You look much better," Danny said to Jack, seeing him awake for the first time since the explosion.

"Not too bad," Jack replied.

"Good," Danny said. "Elena sends her love. Martin and Viv will be dropping by later." Jack nodded in acknowledgement. "The CTU guys will want to speak to you when you're up to it," Danny informed him.

"I'm not sure what I can tell them. My memory is still fuzzy," Jack told him.

"Ah, don't worry about that. Just tell them what you do remember," Danny said positively.

"Have they any leads about who the bombers were?" Jack enquired.

"They're working on a few leads. There wasn't much left of them after the explosion. They haven't even positively identified the remains yet. Forensics is working on that. They have some stills from security cameras so they're hoping to get some IDs off those. No group had claimed responsibility but judging by the type of explosive used, they're working on the theory that they're home grown," Danny informed him.

"Heads will role on this one. They should never have been able to gain access like that," Jack commented crossly.

"I know. And if you hadn't disturbed them, they would have killed dozens of people in our building," Danny reminded him. "You're officially a hero, Jack."

Jack laughed briefly before a dart of pain reminded him it was best not to do that. He screwed up his face until it passed.

"Don't make me laugh, Danny," Jack warned jovially. "I'm in no fit state!"

Danny's smile hid his concern for his boss. He wasn't used to seeing Jack anyway other than strong, vigorous and in control.

"You know, I never thanked you for getting me out of there," Jack said to the young agent. "You probably saved my life."

"There wasn't much I could do, Jack. Those paramedics did all the work," Danny replied bashfully.

"Well, you're the one I remember talking to and, by the way, why were you telling me off?" Jack asked curiously.

"Em, I told you off?" Danny asked. "I'd never do that Jack," he said sarcastically.

"It doesn't matter," Jack replied. "I owe you."

"Well, no doubt I'll collect some day," Danny smirked before looking at his watch. "Oh, I have to go. Agent Fischer, CTU, wants me to go through the security footage with him. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you," Jack replied, bidding him farewell. As soon as Danny was gone, Sam stepped closer to Jack again.

"Now, where were we?" she asked suggestively.

Jack smiled as he reached up towards her luscious lips. Sam understood instantly what he wanted and responded. This time there was passion in the kiss, even though Samantha was being careful not to hurt his already tortured body. When they resurfaced for breath, Sam had to ask the question that was burning within her for days.

"What are we doing, Jack?"

Jack looked at her and struggled to find an answer.

"Making up for lost time?" he finally replied. She smiled at the mischief in his reply but she wanted a proper answer. It was time to come clean.

"Jack, I can't keep doing this. I nearly lost you and it terrified me. When I saw you being carried out of that building and all that blood, I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. I couldn't breathe. I've never stopped loving you, Jack. I've tried, God knows I've tried, but I just can't help it," Sam blurted out emotionally and took a step back.

Jack was dumbfounded. She had never been so up front and direct with him before. He loved her too. He couldn't deny that, but he didn't know if they could have a future. As he had said before, it's complicated.

"Come here," Jack said, reaching his hand out and taking hers. He coaxed her closer to him. "I have loved you for so long, even when I shouldn't have, you know that. You have no idea how much it pained me to end what we had, knowing deep down that it would never be over for me. I just wanted you to have the chance to move on with your life. Mine was so messed up, I couldn't risk screwing yours up as well," he explained frankly. "There were days at work when it physically hurt to not be able to touch you or tell you how I felt. I know you saw Martin for a while and a few other guys, so I presumed you were over me. I kept my distance. I'm such an idiot."

"I think there's a pair of us in it, Jack," Sam replied, sniffling slightly. She held his hand and looked longingly into his eyes. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I won't be going anywhere for a while," Jack reminded her with a smile.

"That's not what I meant," Sam replied, shaking her head at his cavalier attitude.

"I know," he said, as he kissed the back of her hand. "Maybe we can see if there's a way to make it work?"

"Well, first you need to get well, then we'll deal with whatever comes next," Sam said to him, leaning towards him once more and kissing him on the lips.

They were both agreeable to that. At least they both knew at last how the other felt. They would have plenty of time to come up with a way of working it out.

_**A/N - I considered ending it there but I think you J/S junkies would probably have killed me! One more chapter to come.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Jack had convinced Samantha to go home that night by insisting that he would be fine on his own. It took some encouragement but finally she relented and left. Jack was given strong painkillers and something to help him sleep, so he hardly knew she was gone. He slept soundly the whole night.

The next day Jack was moved out of the ICU. He was settled into a nice private room with his own TV. The doctors were happy with his progress. Although he was still very weak and sore, he was pleased to be unhooked from the monitors and IVs. Maria brought the girls to see him that same day. They were much happier to see him in a proper room, as Kate had described it. He was sitting up watching TV when they called by.

"I much prefer this room, Daddy," Kate said, as she inspected the private bathroom. "It's like our hotel room, sort of."

Jack and Maria smiled in adoration of their daughter. One thing was for sure, even if they failed as a couple, they certainly managed to make two beautiful, smart and well-adjusted girls.

"Have you thought about what I said yesterday?" Maria asked, referring to her offer to look after Jack when he was convalescing.

"A bit. I think I'll see what happens here," Jack replied ambiguously. Maria wasn't sure what he meant by his answer, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with Agent Spade.

"Well, if you change your mind, we're only a phone call away," Maria reminded him.

"Thanks, Maria," Jack said sincerely. "For this too," he continued, referring to the fact that she had gone out of her way to bring his daughters to visit him. Maria nodded and gave Jack a warm smile. They watched as their girls sat up on his bed and took charge of the TV's remote control. They flicked from channel to channel and anytime they came to a channel that they knew Jack would like, they quickly changed it to Nickelodeon. They joked, shared tales of school and dance class and planned their next visit to New York. All too soon, Maria announced that it was time to go. Their flight was in a couple of hours. Kate cried as she said goodbye to her father. Hanna tried not to, but it was obvious to everyone that she too was upset at leaving him. Maria gave Jack a peck on the cheek and warned him to listen to the doctors and to give himself time to recover. She promised that the girls would call every evening after school.

Jack held it together until his family had left the room. Then the loneliness hit him and large tears traced their way down his cheeks. He stared at the TV screen, yet didn't see what was on. He didn't care. His heart ached knowing it would be months before he laid eyes on his precious girls again.

Samantha called in later that day, and the next and the one after that. In fact, she visited him every day for the next ten days. Gradually he grew stronger, his discomfort lessened and he began to feel like his old self again. Finally the day arrived that he was to be released from hospital. He was at the stage where he couldn't bear to be in the hospital for another hour. When Samantha came to pick him up, he was dressed and ready to go. It was difficult for Jack to manage a regular crutch because of the cast on his left forearm. He was given a tall crutch that would go under his shoulder and lend support. The doctors advised Samantha that he should preferably stay off his leg for a couple more weeks to allow the bone to knit, but that if he had to move he should always be accompanied by someone.

Pretty soon they were pulling up outside Jack's building. Samantha had Jack's keys, so she opened the door. She helped Jack into the elevator and they rode to the third floor. When she opened the door to his apartment, he entered and looked around.

"Well, you've been busy," he commented, noticing how neat everything was.

"I couldn't have you coming home to …. well, the way you left it," Sam replied, as she dropped his bag on the floor and shut the door. "Come on, sit down!"

Jack did as he was told and made his way over to the sofa. He smiled when he noticed a footstool that he knew was never in the apartment before. As he sat, Samantha grabbed the stool and placed it under his plastered leg.

"New?" he asked.

"Nope, I had it at my place," she replied. "So, how does it feel to be home?"

"Great," Jack replied, reaching for her hand. She placed her hand in his and sat beside him. He put his right arm around her. "Now, it's perfect."

Sam curled her legs up under her and cuddled into him. For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to relax. He was home. They could look forward to the future.

For the next week, Samantha was a constant in Jack's life. She had taken vacation time from work and had stayed with him morning and night, only leaving for short periods of time to get groceries or newspapers. Each day she could see slight improvements in Jack's health. He was getting used to the crutch and managing to get around, albeit slowly and awkwardly. His humour was good and he was positive about his recovery. He was still taking painkillers regularly to help him deal with the ongoing discomfort from his injuries, but was still tiring easily.

The rest of his team visited on various occasions throughout the week. Jack was anxious to hear about cases they were dealing with. Vivienne was acting Supervisory Special Agent in his absence and everything seemed to be going well. Sam cooked and cleaned the apartment and was every bit the little housewife, as Jack often joked. Although she feigned insult, she actually liked the idea of being the housewife, or at least the wife in Jack's life.

Soon, it was time for Samantha to return to work. Arrangements had been made for a nurse to call by during the day and check on Jack, even though Jack insisted that he would be fine and that he could manage without one. Samantha was having none of it and laid down the law. Jack knew better than to argue, so he bit his tongue and said nothing.

Naturally Samantha was like a new mother on her first day back at work, calling him almost every hour, until Jack eventually had to tell her to stop calling. She couldn't wait for the day to be over. On the way home she called to the local Italian restaurant for take-out before she finally reached Jack's apartment. Jack was resting comfortably on the sofa with his leg elevated when she returned.

"So, how was your first day back?" he asked, as she leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Good, are you hungry?" Samantha asked, placing the bag of food on the kitchen table.

"Starving," Jack replied, as he struggled to reach his crutch and then to stand up. Sam noticed his struggle and rushed to help him. "I can manage," he informed her in no uncertain terms. His tone was civil but she got the message. He was a very independent man who hated people seeing him at his most vulnerable. She returned to the kitchen to get plates from the cupboard and let Jack make his own way to the table.

"I have something for you," Sam said, placing the plates on the table. She reached into her handbag and produced a folded letter and placed it in front of him.

"What is it?" Jack asked, as he opened it. Sam paused and let him read it. "A transfer request? But you love the squad," Jack said, sounding astonished.

"I know, but I love you more," she replied with a wide smile. "If I'm not your subordinate, we can be together." Jack looked at her, trying to gauge whether this was really what she wanted. To his surprise her enthusiasm never wavered. "I spoke to Van Doren. She said there are openings in White Collar and Organized Crime, so I've applied for both and hopefully I'll get one of them. I will be expecting a recommendation from you to put with my applications," she said, as she served Spaghetti Carabonara to Jack. He didn't reply, which prompted her to stop dishing up the food and look at him. Jack reached out and touched her hand.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Jack asked seriously.

"You know, now that I've made the decision, I can honestly say I've no regrets. It's time to move on, Jack. The last few weeks have made me realise that life's too short to put things off," she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"The team won't be the same without you. Have you mentioned it to them?" Jack wondered.

"Elena knew I was considering this for a few weeks, ever since we sorted things out. I needed to talk to someone. I haven't said anything to the others yet. I wanted to see what you thought first," Sam admitted, as she sat down to her own meal.

"It would solve the work issue, but I want you to be sure," Jack repeated.

"I am sure," she insisted. "There are a lot more opportunities of transfer for a Special Agent than there are for Supervisory Special Agents. It makes sense. We can have a relationship then, Jack. It is what you want, isn't it?" Samantha asked, needing to hear the words.

"What I want? It's what I've wanted for so long but never dared dream I could have," he said sincerely.

"It's settled then," Sam replied, delighted with his response. "Hopefully by the time you're back at work, I'll be settling in with a new team."

"It won't be the same without you," Jack said mournfully.

"No it won't. It'll be better," Sam replied, as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"You're right. It will," Jack agreed. He looked around the apartment. "Maybe we should start looking for our own place. A new start should be exactly that!"

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Definitely," Jack replied. "I can search websites while I'm laid up and we can view a few on weekends. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea," Samantha replied, trying not to get emotional. It was all working out. Things didn't usually work out for her, but this time it felt different. It felt right. Their future was stretching out in front of her and she liked what she saw.

There would be many more intimate meals between them, many more intimate times between them. She wanted him so badly, but she knew he was in no shape for any bedroom antics….yet. They would have plenty of time for that, she thought wryly.

They both sat at the kitchen table with wide smiles on their faces and enjoyed their meal. Jack watched as Sam licked pasta sauce from the edge of her lips. God, she's beautiful, he thought. He relished the thought that they were moving forward at last. It had taken long enough and been costly in an emotional and personal sense, but finally fate was taking over. There was no need to fight it any longer, no impediments in their way. One step at a time was all they needed to take and fate would guide them.

They would make the journey together, the way it was meant to be.

**THE END**

**A/N - Thanks to all you guys for reading and keeping me going. Hope you enjoyed it. Big shout out to Diane, my Beta!**


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